AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Finally, she settled on a pair of slacks and her most flattering cream-colored blouse. She still looked like she’d just stepped out of an office, but that was fine. It was a Tuesday, after all, and Liam didn’t have to know that she was unemployed.
Amelia capped off the outfit with a dash of lipstick and twisted her hair into a half bun, which she knew from experience was the best way to tame her blond hair. Finally, she smiled at herself in the mirror by her front door. She looked nice. She was ready.
As she got closer to the Revena, though, Amelia’s heart started to race. It had been a long time since she’d been on a date. The last few years had been dedicated to Shondyn, and even in college, she hadn’t been much of a dater. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, then stepped into the restaurant’s lobby.
“How can I help you?” A friendly-looking maître d’ smiled at her from the front of the restaurant.
“Hi. I’m here to meet Liam Bradshaw. Perhaps he has a reservation?”
“I do.”
Amelia turned to see Liam striding towards her. He was dressed in a different suit today, this one in a dark navy. He looked perfectly put-together, every hair in place — except for one stray Cheerio on the leg of his slacks, which drew Amelia’s eye because it looked so out of place.
“Hello again.” Amelia gave what she hoped was a friendly smile. With any luck, Liam wouldn’t be able to tell how quickly her heart was racing.
“Hi, Amelia. Thank you for meeting with me today.” He turned to the maître d’. “I believe I booked the tower room.”
“Yes, sir. Right this way.”
Amelia was slightly taken aback at the mention of a tower room. She’d expected to dine in a crowded restaurant, not a tower. But her apprehension faded when the maître d’ led them up a flight of stairs and into a beautiful private room that was, indeed, at the top of a small tower. In the middle stood a large table made of some kind of dark wood, but the table the maître d’ led them to was tucked into a window alcove overlooking the Bay. Amelia crossed straight to the window and looked down at the water below.
“Please, have a seat, and we’ll have a menu right with you.” The maître d’ departed, and Amelia realized that she and Liam were alone together. She turned around and saw him leaning against the wall near the table, appraising her. When he caught her looking, he stepped forward to pull out her chair in a gesture Amelia could only describe as gentlemanly.
“Do you have any dietary restrictions? Anything you don’t like?” Liam asked.
Amelia shook her head. “I like most things.”
“Then I recommend we order the chef’s choice. I know the chef here personally, and he always curates a beautiful menu of local products.”
Amelia’s eyes widened slightly and she bit her lip. There was no way she could afford to pay for the chef’s special.
Liam seemed to read her mind, because he continued. “Cost isn’t an issue — I’ll cover the lunch.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t like the thought of letting him pay for lunch, but it would be more embarrassing to have to leave without eating because she couldn’t afford anything.
“Of course. So, Amelia, tell me a little more about yourself.”
Amelia blinked. Despite the romantic atmosphere of the tower room, that question seemed like it came from a job interview, not a first date.
“Well, as you know, I’m Amelia Holland. I was born and raised right here in San Francisco, and I have three siblings and five nieces and nephews, as you probably remember. How about you? Do you have any siblings?”
“No.” Liam took a sip of water. “And are you working at the moment?”
Again, Amelia felt a tingle of strangeness. Liam hadn’t seemed interested in answering her question. And now he wanted to talk about her job? Maybe she had just been off the market too long, but this was feeling less and less like a date to her.
“No, not at the moment.” She took another stab at conversation. “I remember you mentioned you work at Lilypad Learning, though. That must be fascinating. How do you like it?”
“I’m actually the CEO there, which I love. And Lilypad is a great company.” At just that moment, when Liam seemed on the verge of talking more, a waiter arrived with a menu. Amelia’s eyes widened at the realization that he didn’t just work for Lilypad, but actually ran it. That explained why he’d chosen such a nice restaurant.
“We’ll take two of the chef’s choice, please,” Liam said.
“Excellent choice, sir.” The waiter departed, and Liam turned back to Amelia.
“Where were we?”
“You were telling me about your work.”
“Right. Yes, my work is wonderful. Now, tell me, do you have experience with children other than your nieces and nephews?”
